THE ECLIPSE | PJM ✓

01

new moon

GENTLE COCOA EYES hiding behind chocolate hair bounced from each corner of the room, a smile perking up at the chaos playing out in every inch of the space. Tahani still couldn't get used to the madness that would ensue every day she woke up, but that didn't mean she didn't adore every second of it.

A quick gasp escaped her as a smaller figure draped in a rose gown fled past, followed by a taller, darker pink dress chasing on her tail.

"Ellie, give me back my book!" the older girl shrieked at their youngest sister, causing the entire room of women to dissolve into laughter.

"What if I don't want to?" was the last thing she heard before both sisters—Elena and Rowan—were out of earshot.

Shaking her head to herself, the twenty-three-year-old strolled toward the table in the centre, feeling her lehenga sway against her skin and her long jimikki dangle from her ears.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Sae let out a hearty chuckle as she watched her settle into the seat next to her.

"Wow, I wish I looked like that when I woke up," Kalliste snorted, and the rest of the girls joined, knowing full well that Tahani's bed head was nothing close to the perfectly styled look she had on now.

"No, really," Clover's soft voice drew everyone's attention to the foot of the table where she was threading a small Shih Tzu's fur through her fingers as it panted happily in her lap. Lucia was next to her, hands wrapped around a lighter pup who was rubbing her cheek against the girl's palm with the cutest smile on her face. They both looked completely engrossed in conversation.

"Name one mean thing I've ever done," Lucia asked nonchalantly through half-lidded brown eyes, and Clover's own bambi orbs lit up.

"When we were younger, you convinced me that butterflies were controlled by a remote that the Queen owns."

"They are," Lucia prodded, and the pink-haired princess blinked a couple of times.

"Haha, very funny."

"I'm serious," Lucia deadpanned once again, tone steady and serious, causing the older sisters—including Tahani—to snicker from the other end. "Didn't you hear?"

"No," Clover's eyes widened, "What happened?"

"Why would you fall for this again?" Estrella tutted, "Lucia will not stop teasing us, huh."

"That's my little sister," a deeper voice emerged from behind Tahani, and soon the oldest princess took the seat beside her. "We'd have her no other way."

Tahani smiled back at her as she spoke, taking a second to admire the glitter sprinkled over her cheeks before she asked everyone how their morning's been so far.

"A lot better when I remembered we don't have any royal duties tonight," Zoë's honey voice was laced with excitement and a tint of shyness as her gaze fell to the table. The girls could see the faint rose creeping onto her porcelain skin, and they all smiled at her instinctively. They knew what that meant for her; she could leave the palace for the evening.